by Danica Rayne
“Liam, lead the way,” I said.
We trailed him into the forest until we reached the cliff he and I had leaped off from when he had taken me for my first dragon ride. We stood at the edge and peered down.
“I’m not scared of heights,” Ryker said, “but as an animal with feet that belong firmly on the ground, the height does make me a little uneasy.”
“You guys can still back out,” I said. “You don’t have to do this.”
They shook their heads.
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay then. Onward to Los Angeles.”
Chapter Eleven
“Everyone, stand back,” Liam instructed. “It’s easier to do this when I take off…” He crouched down on the ground near the edge of the cliff, spreading out his arms.
“Are you sure you can support all our weights, Liam?” Kayden asked. “Because I can super-speed there.”
“You’ll be dead tired if you run all the way,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
He closed his eyes and dipped his head as he waved his arms, slowly at first and then picking up speed. Soon his arms where making a whooshing sound and they created a small breeze.
As his arms swooshed faster, his body began to transform. His skin turned black, and then dark blue scales and talons appeared. He grew, forcing Ryker and Kayden to scramble away.
He had completely shifted into a dragon.
I marveled at the sight before me. I had seen him change only twice, but he was mid-air and had quickly turned invisible. Now my eyes soaked him in. From his beautiful glossy black skin and shiny blue scales, down his talons and fire red eyes. He was beautiful.
“Holy crap,” Ryker said.
“You’re beautiful, Liam,” I said.
“I’m with Alivia,” Kayden said. “You are one pretty dragon.”
“Have you guys not seen his dragon side before?” I asked.
“Not like this,” Ryker said.
“I’ve seen him change years ago,” Kayden said. “But he was only a kid back then. A baby dragon. But now? Liam, you’re a real dragon now.”
He shook his head from side to side. I didn’t know if he was pleased or embarrassed.
Finn signed, and Kayden and Ryker laughed.
“He said he prefers the dragon,” Kayden interpreted.
I smiled and slapped his arm playfully.
Liam stood on his clawed legs and swept his talons around.
“I think he wants to get moving,” Kayden said.
“I thought you liked the spotlight,” Ryker said as he moved closer to him.
He waved his talons again.
Finn signed.
“He said Liam said he’ll leave the spotlight for Ryker,” Kayden said.
“You can communicate with him?” I asked.
Finn signed “apparently.”
“So we don’t have to worry about miscommunication. Cool. Let’s mount.”
I sat in front, with Finn behind me, Kayden behind him and Ryker the last. Finn’s arms closed around my middle like he was glad he had the opportunity to touch me.
Like the last time I had ridden on him, Liam’s body wasn’t scorching like when he was human. He waved his talons again and took off, cloaking us in invisibility.
Ryker cheered as we flew away, heading to Los Angeles. The weather was much colder than the last time, but it was easy to ignore that because of the thrill. I cheered along with Ryker, and it wasn’t long before Kayden joined, too. I turned my head a little to get a glimpse at Finn and saw that his eyes shone with excitement as well.
“I’ve never really been jealous of you guys,” Ryker called over the wind. “All I wanted was to be human. But right now, I’m crazy jealous of Liam.”
Finn removed his hands from around my waist. When I turned to him, I saw that he was signing at Ryker.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He’s speaking for Liam,” Kayden said. “He says he’s forgetting one little fact. The no human contact.”
“Right,” Ryker said. “I guess we all have our pros and cons.”
I looked down. We were passing through our neighboring town. “At least this place isn’t as dead as Edgewood,” I said. “Though I don’t know how long it’ll take before news travels about the existence of supernaturals.”
“It’s already gone viral,” Kayden said.
I shook my head. “I don’t even want to think what my life will be like after I close the portal. What the life of all the slayers will be like.”
“Whatever happens, we have your back,” Ryker said.
“You might have to worry about your own backs.”
What if humans found a method to hurt supernaturals, like that device Lawrence used? How would I keep my guys safe?
“Alivia—”
Ryker’s words cut off when something appeared on our left. It was bounding for us at an extremely fast pace.
“Liam, watch out!” I called. But it was too late. The thing rammed into Liam, causing him to swerve sharply. We turned visible.
“Alivia!” Kayden yelled as I was ripped off Liam’s back.
I flew past Finn and Kayden, but then a strong hand gripped my arm. I gasped when I found myself suspended in the air, with only Ryker clutching me.
He pulled me toward him, tucking me against his body. “You okay?”
“Yeah. What the heck was that?”
Something else slammed into Liam, followed by another, and then another. Liam was knocked off course, toward a building, tumbling over and over until he crashed onto the roof. Luckily, on his stomach.
I had no idea what building we were on, but there were gargoyles surrounding the entire premises. I couldn’t remember the last time I actually saw gargoyles.
“Liam?” I slid off him just as he started to shift back into a human. The other guys flopped to the ground. I took him by the arm and helped him sit up. “Are you hurt?”
He was about to answer, but then his eyes looked past me and they widened. “Lookout!” He threw himself over me as one of those creatures swooped over us.
“You okay?” Liam asked as he rolled off me.
“Yeah.” I reached into my belt for my daggers and pinned my eyes on the creatures. Three stood before us. Human-sized bats with red eyes. Nothing I had ever seen before. They must have come from the demon world.
At once, we attacked the demon bats, me tossing my spear to Kayden as I aimed by daggers at one. It flapped away before my daggers could pierce it, releasing a high-pitched sound that nearly exploded my eardrums.
“Disable their wings!” I called as I tried to slash one, but the creature evaded me.
Kayden appeared at my side. “I’m going to toss you, okay?”
He took me by the waist and threw me upward. I was headed straight for the bat, my daggers at the ready, but it caught sight of me at the last minute and flew away. I slammed into Finn, throwing him and myself splat on the ground.
“Sorry,” I said as I rubbed the side of my head.
It’s okay. This isn’t working.
“I know.”
I have an idea.
Once he discussed the plan with the others, we worked together to make it happen. Ryker launched me at one of the demon bats, and like before, it dodged. But that was where Kayden and Finn came in. Kayden tossed Finn in the air just as the demon bat headed in that direction, opening his mouth wide and drawing out his large teeth. He bit into it, ripping its head off its body. Its torso and legs dropped to the ground, and Finn spit the head out, where it rolled to the edge of the roof.
The two remaining bats shrieked so loud I had to cover my ears. Then they flew away.
“Finally, they’re gone,” I said. I turned to Liam. “You feeling okay to take us the rest of the journey?”
“Of course.” He was about to get on his knees, when I felt a presence behind me. I turned around and saw one of the gargoyle statues standing right in front of me.
“How did this th
ing get here?” I asked as I faced the others. “Wasn’t it over there?”
A shadow loomed behind me. I spun around and found the gargoyle towering above. It was alive.
“Run!” Ryker grabbed my hand. As we ran, the gargoyle flew in the air and landed before us.
“I can’t kill it!” I yelled as we hurried to the opposite direction. “It’s made of stone.”
Another gargoyle came to life, and it, too, landed before us, blocking our path.
Soon, we were surrounded by four gargoyles.
“Since when are gargoyles supernaturals?” I panted as they closed in on us, forcing us together.
“They’re not normal gargoyles,” Kayden said.
He was right. They were red and had warts and blisters all over their bodies. Demon gargoyles. They were probably sent in from the demon world, maybe to spy on Earth.
“Liam?” I asked as they moved even closer to us, forcing our backs together. “Fire?”
“R-right. On it.” He bent down and pressed his hands onto one of the gargoyle’s feet, his palms on fire. But the gargoyle didn’t react, not even a flinch. “Um, it’s not working…” Sweat poured out all over him as he tried harder. “He’s immune.”
The five of us were now pressed together, not even an inch between us. The gargoyles stretched their arms over us, attaching to one another. Their bodies expanded from right to left and top to bottom, until we were completely encased in a stone box.
“Guys,” I said as my breathing grew heavy. “There isn’t enough oxygen for all four of us.”
Ryker slammed his fists into the stone. Over and over. He kicked his legs. It didn’t even make a dent. He slumped against me, sweat sliding down the side of his neck.
Finn opened his mouth, revealing his teeth, but I grabbed his arm. “No, you’ll break your teeth.”
We were breathing very heavy now. I doubted we could survive even five more minutes.
Liam stretched his arms to the ceiling, his palms once again on fire. But like before, the heat had no effect on the stone.
I made a fist and punched the wall, over and over until my knuckles bled.
Ryker caught my fist before I could lay another punch. “You’ll break your hand.” Baring his teeth and hissing, he rammed his shoulder into the stone several times, stifling his cries of pain. But like before, it didn’t make a dent.
Kayden tried using the force of his speed to break through the walls, but they wouldn’t budge.
I stared at our stone prison, swallowing the huge lump in my throat. We were all desperately sucking in oxygen, but there was hardly any air left. “Guys…I…I…” I glanced between the four of them. “I guess this is goodbye. I’ve failed as a slayer. I’ve failed Edgewood. I’ve failed the world.”
“You haven’t failed.” Kayden took hold of my hands. “You were the best slayer Edgewood has ever had.”
“Are you guys giving up?” Ryker demanded. “Just like that?”
“We won’t last more than two minutes,” Kayden said.
I glanced from one to the other again as our chests heaved. “You’ve all changed me. I’m glad my last moments on Earth will be with you.”
Liam groaned from behind me. His hands were once again against the ceiling, groaning harder as he drew on his fire.
“Liam—”
He yelled, his eyes on fire. His entire body lit up as well, and then fire shot out of his hands and through the stone ceiling, like a bomb, sending pieces of debris all over. Kayden shielded me with his body.
We gasped as oxygen filled our lungs. And then I found Liam unconscious on the ground.
Chapter Twelve
“Liam!” Grabbing his shoulders, I shook his body. Was he even breathing?
A hiss of pain escaped my lips when my palms got burned. I quickly pulled them away and examined them. They were red. His face was red, too. A color I never saw on him before. Nor had I ever seen such intense fire shoot out of his body. Had he overdone it?
I moved my hand toward his heart to see if it was beating, but the heat from his body jumped on me, shoving my hand away. I bent my ear close instead, then sighed in relief when I heard a beat.
The others surrounded Liam as well, their faces holding nothing but worry. “His heart is beating,” I told them. “But why won’t he wake up?”
Kayden dropped to his knees, leaning over Liam. He gently slapped his face. “Come on, Liam.”
No reaction.
“Did you feel how hot he is?” I asked. “He’s scorching.”
“The amount of fire that left his body…it was almost like his dragon side came out.”
“So what does that mean?” Ryker asked. “His dragon side is getting too powerful?”
“Levi was worried that could happen. With all the strain he put on himself to break the stone, maybe he awakened it.” Kayden slapped Liam’s face, harder this time. Once again, there was no reaction. “Come on, Liam!” he begged as he slammed his hands on his chest. “Wake up!”
Liam’s body jerked and a puff of smoke exited his mouth as he coughed. His eyes opening to slits, he groaned, “What happened?”
“You passed out,” I told him as Kayden and I helped him sit up. Thankfully, his body temperature dropped significantly. “You don’t remember shooting fire at the stone?”
He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, I do. God, I have such a headache.”
Pulling my sleeves over my palms, I placed my hands on either side of his face and gazed into his eyes. “I was so scared we lost you.”
He gave me a lazy smile. “You think I’d let the others keep you all for themselves?”
That brought a smile to my lips. “Only you can joke about that.” I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close to me. With the cold weather outside and my trembling body, the heat radiating off his chest was perfect. My Liam cocoon.
“I’m glad you’re okay, too.” Ryker clapped him on the back. “You saved our asses, man.”
“Well, duh,” he joked. “I am a mighty dragon, after all.”
My gaze met Kayden’s worried one. I knew what was bothering him—that Liam’s dragon side was getting stronger. What if he would one day lose control and destroy a city?
“Why does it feel like someone died?” Liam gently untangled his body from mine, his eyes moving from me to the guys. “Are you all that freaked that we almost died?”
I shook my head. “No, we’re freaked that you almost died.”
He waved his hand. “Just call me Mr. Invincible. Nothing can take this dragon down.”
I got up and held my hands out to him. “We really need to get moving.”
My sleeves still covered my palms, but they stung when Liam grabbed my hands and hauled himself off the roof floor. But as soon as I released his hands, he swayed and dropped back on the ground, grabbing hold of his head. “Wow. Dizzy.”
Kayden was at his side, carefully placing his hand behind his head. “Careful. You need to rest for a few minutes. Here, lie against the wall.”
“This isn’t really necessary,” Liam protested as Kayden helped him scoot to the wall. “I’m fine.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” I said. “I think we all can use some rest.”
The four of us sat down near Liam, whose eyes were starting to droop. Poor guy. His body went through such an ordeal. It must have taken a sick amount of energy to blow through that stone wall.
I looked at Kayden. “Maybe we should find another way to get to the witch. Liam’s drained.”
Finn took out his phone and started tapping the screen. Then he held it out to Kayden.
“It really takes that long to get to LA from here? I guess the bus is out.”
“Where are we, anyway?” I asked.
Finn signed “Portland.”
“What about a plane?” Ryker asked.
Kayden shook his head. “Too expensive, and it’s time consuming, too.”
“I can do it,” a tired-sounding voice said.
My e
yes sprang to Liam, whose eyes were shut tight. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“How can I with you four yapping like that?”
“Oh. Sorry.”
Still with his eyes closed, he grinned. “Just playing. But really, I can do it. Just let me rest for a few more minutes.”
I leaned against the wall, tugging my coat closer to my body. I was shivering, but that wasn’t only due to the cold. There were too many worries on my head.
As though he could sense my troubled thoughts, Finn signed and asked in my mind, Are you okay?
I pushed a smile on my face. “I’m okay.”
“Liar,” Ryker said.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Okay, you caught me. I’m just worried, that’s all.”
“About meeting the witch?” Kayden asked.
“Not just that. It’s everything. I mean, the last twenty-four hours were so intense, and I never had a moment to think, you know? To let it settle in my brain. But now we’ve slowed down and…”
Kayden nodded. “I get it. Everything that’s happened since we left for the museum is catching up with you.”
“Yeah. It’s finally sinking in that a demon lord nearly broke into our world. If your foster dad hadn’t helped us find that temp shield…who knows what the world would be like right now? And if we can’t close it…”
Ryker scooted over, wrapping his arm over my shoulder. “I wish you wouldn’t worry. I don’t like seeing you upset.”
Finn signed “Same.”
“Sorry. I’ll keep my worries to myself from now on. Try to be positive.”
“No,” Kayden said. “We don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to us. Please talk to us, Alivia. Don’t hold anything in. We’re here to help and support you.”
“Yeah, sorry I made you feel that way.” Ryker nuzzled his nose in my hair. “It just sucks that you’re the one who has to deal with this. All I want is for you to be happy.”
I cupped his cheek. “If I wasn’t the slayer, I would have never met you guys. So I can’t be too upset.”